Seville eyes revenge against Nigeria’s Ajayi

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, the Tokyo World champion and current world leader in the men’s 100 metres with a season’s best 9.82 seconds, will resume his rivalry with Nigeria’s Ajayi Kayinsola when both line up today in the  short sprint at the Novuna London Athletics Wanda Diamond League, the 11th stop in the series.
The Nigerian who is ranked number two in the world, surprised Seville in Eugene, Oregon, two weeks ago when he won the event in 9.84, a time which equalled personal best, to relegate the Jamaican to second. He will be hoping to lower the colours of the Seville once again.
Another sub-9.9 seconds clocking could be in the making as the likes of the promising Jordan Anthony of the United States, with a season’s best 9.92, Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon, who is coming off a victory at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary in 9.99 and South Africa’s Gist Leotlela, with a season’s best 9.97 seconds, should all make it a very competitive event.
Seville will be one of  six Jamaicans in action. He will be joined by high jumper Lamara Distin, quarter-milers Nickisha Pryce and Stacey Ann Williams, and sprint hurdler Orlando Bennett.
Williams, with a season’s and personal best of 49.48 seconds, and Pryce, with a season’s best 49.56, will take on world leader and unbeaten Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic. Paulino has been in outstanding form this season and, with a world-leading 48.48 looks set to continue her unbeaten run. Norway’s Henriette Jæger, with a season’s best 49.52, is also expected to be in the mix.
After finishing well down the field in the men’s 110m hurdles in Hungary in midweek, Bennett will be hoping to bounce back as he looks to improve on his season’s best 13.15. World record-holder Ja’Kobe Tharp, who bounced back with a 12.85 victory in his last race after losing in Eugene, will be hoping to continue his good form. His fellow Americans Cordell Tinch, Jamaal Britt and Trey Cunningham will all be looking to push him to the limit.
Another mouth-watering clash is expected in the women’s 200m as world leader Julien Alfred of St Lucia takes on Olympic champion Gabby Thomas of the United States. In Eugene, Alfred stormed to victory in a personal best 21.51 seconds, the third-fastest time in history by a woman, before showing she remains in immaculate form by winning the 100m in Hungary in a season’s best 10.87 in midweek.
Thomas, who finished third behind Alfred in Eugene, returned to winning ways in the 200m in Hungary in midweek and will be hoping to avenge that defeat.